The present invention pertains to packaging film, and more particularly to a thin polymeric film suitable for replacing polyvinyl chloride film especially in packaging applications.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has long been used in many applications in the packaging art. One particularly widespread application for PVC is the use of such material as an overwrap material for trayed retail cuts of meat and other food products in a retail environment.
PVC has several desirable properties for this use. For example, it has excellent optics and good elasticity and stretch properties at use temperatures.
Unfortunately, PVC also has several disadvantages, including the production of hydrogen chloride gas during heat sealing and the generally corrosive effects of such gases in the packaging room.
It would be of great benefit to the packaging industry, and particular to applications requiring an instore film for overwrapping trayed food products, to provide a film with many of the advantages of PVC but without the disadvantages described above.
Applicant has discovered that a relatively thin polymeric film, preferably a polyolefin, and more preferably very low density polyethylene (VLDPE), produced by hot blowing and then stretch orienting the extruded film, exhibits excellent elasticity, toughness, stretch and optical properties.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,044 (Pahlke) mentions thin films of thicknesses less than 1 mil such as 0.5 mils, and discloses a double bubble method for biaxially orienting thermoplastic films including the steps of producing a primary tubing which is inflated by introducing air into the interior thereof, and a cooling ring 22, as well as squeeze rolls 34 and 28, with rolls 34 having a greater speed than rolls 28. Between the two pairs of squeeze rolls is a reinflated secondary bubble. If annealing is desired, the tubing can be reinflated to form a bubble 70.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,604 (Pahlke) is a patent based on a divisional application which was derived from the same priority application as the '044 patent described above, and discloses the same information described above for the '044 patent.